Reproductive biology of two Temognatha species 
205 
Figure 2. Temognatha chalcodera female ovipositing (showing sand being ejected onto egg) at 1532hrs on Allocasuarina 
acutivalvis, 18km east of Yellowdine, Western Australia. Photo: author. 
hrs, flying and then landing on top of an 
apparently healthy 1.4 m high A. acutivalvis plant, 
3 m south of first oviposition site. It then walked 
head-first to base of trunk at ground level, turned 
180°, and returned up trunk for a short distance to 
begin ovipositing at 1532 hrs (Figure 2). It laid a 
single subcircular egg (on east face of trunk) with 
maximum diameter of 4.7 mm, 7 cm above ground 
on outside of trunk surface (trunk diameter 1.3 cm, 
at this level), and then immediately completely 
coated the egg with cemented yellow sand, thereby 
forming a roughly hemispherical cemented sand- 
dome (maximum diameter 7.7 mm, maximum 
height 3.7 mm) composed of quartzitic sand grains 
with a maximum size of 1.0 mm. Oviposition 
duration as in previous individual. 
In both instances the appearance of the domes 
contrasted strongly with the coloration and texture 
of the stems to which they were attached. 
A search of the surrounding area revealed 
numerous fresh domes, of similar size and 
appearance, attached to the surface of the lower 
branches and trunk bases of other living and 
apparently healthy A. acutivalvis plants (with and 
without seed cones), including mature individuals 
up to 3 m high. Some living plants had 
disintegrating domes scattered over their stems 
and branches, but no emergence (exit) holes that 
could be attributed to adult beetles the size of T. 
chalcodera. There was no evidence that T. chalcodera 
oviposited on the few dead or dying A. acutivalvis 
plants in the area. 
Sand was not present on the stem immediately 
under the centre (where the egg was/is located) of 
any old or fresh domes examined. However, a 
single 1.5-2 mm maximum diameter oval hole was 
present under the centre of some fresh domes, and 
was associated with a first instar buprestid larvae 
in one instance. 
Occasional plants of Allocasuarina corniculata 
(F.Muell.) L.Johnson were also present at this site, 
but there was no evidence that T. chalcodera 
oviposited on this species. Interestingly, in this 
locality A. acutivalvis has smooth bark on its 
branches and trunk while A. cornicidata has rough 
corrugated bark on same. 
DISCUSSION 
The presence of numerous fresh domes 
suggested T. chalcodera frequently oviposited at this 
locality during the 1989/1990 summer period. The 
occurrence of old and disintegrating domes on 
plants lacking adult emergence holes possibly 
